Sixth Annual 'Car Guy of the Year' Announced at eAuto World

International Land Speed Racers Don and Rick Vesco Named as Award Winners DETROIT, April 18 -- In a salute to the fastest form of motorsports in the world and all of the best and brightest contributors to the advancement of the automotive community, brothers Don and Rick Vesco received the Car Guy of the Year(TM) award for 2001 from a diverse group of automotive industry representatives on April 17, 2002 at the opening reception of the eAuto World conference in Dearborn, Mich.

Lynn Yakel, noted Bonneville racer and land speed racing car designer accepted the award on behalf of the Vesco brothers for their world-famous involvement in the car culture and 458 mile per hour wheel-driven land speed record for the USA at the Bonneville Salt Flats in their ``Turbinator'' race car in 2001.

``Looking at the list of other nominees, we were just honored to be included, but never thought we had a chance,'' said car designer and builder Rick Vesco when told of the Award. ``It's gratifying to know that others in the car world recognize the value of our World Land Speed Record for the United States.'' Driver Don Vesco added, ``Without our dedicated volunteer team, Rick and I would still be chasing our dream out on the Bonneville Salt Flats. On behalf of my brother and TEAMVesco, we want to thank those on the committee and in the entire automotive community for their support.''

``The idea of driving in excess of 400 miles per hour is a mind-boggling proposition, to spend 15 years chipping away at such a goal is deserving of not only the automotive world's respect, but admiration for courageous example of what American know-how can achieve,'' said Andy Granatelli, a veteran of the motorsports world and auto industry, and member of the Car Guy of the Year Committee.

``We reviewed a number of outstanding individuals this year, and the vigorous discussions and careful selection process that this unique award reflects gives the Car Guy of the Year award special merit,'' Granatelli added. ``It means more than a general 'success' in the car world or doing only what you're paid to do. This award salutes an achievement in making a notable contribution to the car culture that also reflects a requisite combination of a genuine passion for cars, proven technical insights, involvement in the enthusiasts' arena and respect among peers across the industry spectrum.''

PAST WINNERS Previous award winners of the Car Guy of the Year award include: Tom Gale, member of the board and executive vice president, product

design and development, DaimlerChrysler -- 2000; Jacques Nasser, Chairman and CEO, Ford Motor Company -- 1999; Bob Lutz, Chairman and CEO Exide -- 1998; Dick Guldstrand, race car driver and president of Guldstrand Engineering -- 1997; and Bob Sinclair, former president of Saab Cars, USA, and industry consultant -- 1996. AWARD HISTORY

``With an 18-member advisory committee for this award, we have leadership input from a strong variety of the auto world's multiple facets,'' said Steve Ford, co-administrator of the sixth annual Car Guy of the Year award program. ``Between the thoughtful contributions of each and every committee member in this process, and the media support from PR Newswire and here with industry leadership at the eAuto World venue, we're very grateful for this year's 'finish line' and saluting the Vesco brothers.''

Roy Miller, award co-administrator noted, ``It's easy to identify great car people who are accomplished, passionate about their careers and have great respect from peers. But to have truly achieved notable leadership in all five criteria points narrows the field every year. The committee has continued to work carefully to spotlight true role models of well-rounded leadership.''

The ``Car Guy of the Year'' award committee's guidelines for determining the accomplishments, character and contributions of the annual award winner include a focus on each of the following mandatory factors for the voting process:

Proven knowledge of both the auto industry and an equal level of understanding about the technical aspects of automobiles Noteworthy recent or current contribution to the automobile community Active and visible participation in the car enthusiast arena Respect and admiration from peers A genuine passion for cars DON AND RICK VESCO BACKGROUND

The curiosity about speed is like an itch one can't seem to fully scratch. In land speed racing, where courage is found in the throttle pedal, measured somewhere between idle and the floorboards, speed is better known as Salt Fever. For decades salt rodders have extracted incredible amounts of horsepower out of persnickety powertrains bolted into handcrafted chassis and wrapped tightly inside wind-defying skins. There's no money to be won -- all they want is ``bragging rights,'' bestowed with a scrap of paper called a time slip.

For more than four decades Rick and Don Vesco have been designing, building, racing and collecting motorcycle and automobile speed records, winning races, championships and building a legacy at the Bonneville Salt Flats, considered the world's largest, natural dynamometer -- the longest stretch of unobstructed, concrete-hard straightness in the nation.

Running under the banner ``TEAMVesco,'' the brothers and their tight-knit, multi-talented crew set a new FIA World Land Speed Record for Wheel-Driven Cars with an astonishing 458 miles per hour in October of 2001 with ``Turbinator'', a 31-foot hand-built streamliner. In doing so, Don Vesco became the first person in the world to record international land speed records for both automobiles and motorcycles.

These ``velocity scientists'' brothers, Don and Rick Vesco, were born into a family with a father whose racing exploits can be traced back to the 1930s, growing up in a household that oozed speed and performance. Using every trick they learned from the top drawer of their father's toolbox, the brothers, actively racing since the mid-50s, are now legend among the go-fast straight- line crowd.

With the help of many volunteers, Rick and Don developed an ingenious, one-off running gear system that boggles the engineering mind. Harnessing the 16,000 rpm coming off the main turbine shaft, the turbine power is feed through a custom-made, gear reduction box that then splits the power along fore and aft driveshafts out to all four drive wheels and all squeezed inside a 36-inch wide by 31-foot long streamliner that looks like a banana on steroids.

Not satisfied, the Vesco brothers intend to crack the 500 mile-per-hour mark during the 2002 racing season.

CAR GUY OF THE YEAR COMMITTEE The Car Guy of the Year 2001 Committee members include: Mario Andretti: International race car driver and racing/OEM industry

consultant. Bob Bondurant: President, Bondurant Schools; race car driver; racing/OEM industry consultant. Cynthia Claes: Automotive industry enthusiast, motorsports journalist and marketing communications professional. Jerry Flint: Automotive journalist; columnist for Forbes magazine, Ward's Auto World and TheCarConnection.com . Steve Ford: Automotive print/broadcast journalist, automotive product and technology instructor; Car Guy of the Year award co-administrator. Tom Gale: Automotive design consultant and former executive vice president, product design and development for DaimlerChrysler. Andy Granatelli: Automotive industry/aftermarket entrepreneur; race car driver / team owner; founder STP Products Corporation. Dick Guldstrand: President, Guldstrand Engineering; race car driver; racing and OEM industry consultant -- Car Guy of the Year '97. Kathy Jackson: Editor of Crain's Automotive Marketing and columnist for Automotive News. Chuck Jordan: Automotive design consultant and former V.P. design, General Motors. John Lypen: Publisher and Editorial Director, Hearst Publishing's Motor Magazine and Motor Systems, Inc. Roy Miller: Automotive Historian & Concours d'Elegance circuit judge; owner, East/West Motors, Santa Barbara; award co-administrator. Louise Ann Noeth: Photojournalist and racer; owner, Landspeed Productions, Camarillo, CA; author, ``Bonneville Salt Flats'', MBI Publishing. Dr. Roberta Nichols: Alternative fuels engineering consultant and competitive land speed record race car driver. Lorraine Schultz: Founder/International Director, Women's Automotive Association International; former director of the Auto Leather Guild of America. Bob Sinclair: Automotive industry consultant; former president, Saab Cars USA; Car Guy of the Year '96. Don Sommer: Owner American Arrow Corporation; vintage and classic car collector and co-founder of Meadow Brook Concours d' Elegance. Bob Stockton: Automotive public relations manager and marketing communications consultant. eAUTO WORLD CONFERENCE

eAuto World is a trade conference and exhibition featuring leading experts and executives in the automotive information technology industry. The conference is focused on building practical and e-business partnerships and solutions. eAuto World provides a forum for automotive manufacturers, distributors parts suppliers and technology partners to discover how they can increase profits and improve core business operations. The conference is being held at the Ritz-Carlton, Dearborn. Show hours on Thursday, April 18 are from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. Full conference passes are $595 and Expo Only Passes are free. For more information or to register please visit www.eAutoWorld.com or call 1-800-830-3976.

Additional information about past winners of the ``Car Guy of the Year'' award and digital audio versions of previous award announcement programs may be accessed via the Internet at www.thecarguy.com .

SOURCE: Car Guy of the Year Award Committee